This series features interviews with the developers of intriguing new indie games. In this installment, we present a mini-interview with the developers of *BOMBANANA!*, a three-player cooperative bomb-defusal game developed by Lefto Studio and released for PC and Mac on September 2.
This game is a cooperative party game designed exclusively for three players. Players each control one of three monkeys—based on the “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil” motif—and work together to defuse a briefcase-shaped time bomb. Communication among the three players is paramount. The game also supports Japanese.
“BOMBANANA!” is available for 1,050 yen.
――First, please introduce yourself. What’s your favorite game?
I’m UfukUfuk. I’m 23 years old and live in Istanbul, Turkey. I graduated with a degree in Digital Game Design. I grew up playing games from a young age, so they’ve always been an important part of my life. Now, I’ve turned my passion for games into my job and am pursuing a career I truly love.
My favorite PC game is “League of Legends.”
――Please tell us about the game’s unique features. Also, how did you come up with the idea?
Ufuk: The single biggest element that defines *BOMBANANA!* is undoubtedly the concept of “not being able to see,” “not being able to hear,” and “not being able to speak.”When I came up with this idea, I realized that no game had ever incorporated such a concept before. So, I combined this concept with the theme of “defusing bombs” to create a cooperative puzzle game where players have to find creative ways to communicate with one another.
It wasn’t so much a single moment of inspiration as it was a concept that evolved into its current form as I spent a long time deepening my thoughts on it.
――Were there any games that influenced the development of this title?
Ufuk: When I came up with this idea, I drew inspiration mainly from two sources. The first was a viral YouTube video trend in which three people—each playing the role of someone who “can’t see,” “can’t hear,” or “can’t speak”—worked together to tackle various tasks. The second was the game *Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes*.
“BOMBANANA!” was essentially born by fusing these two ideas and adding my own interpretation. By combining them, I wanted to create a “cooperative puzzle experience where each player’s communication abilities differ.”
――Could you share one of the most memorable moments from the development of this game?
Ufuk: One of the most memorable moments happened about one or two weeks after we released the trailer for this game.At the time, we only had about 3,000 wishlist entries, but media outlets and channels like Den Faminico Gamer,Indie Game Joe, andNeonNoroshi_JPshared our trailer, and as a result, it went viral, racking up over a million views.
Another moment that really stands out in my memory is the instant when *BOMBANANA!* became the most-played demo during “Steam Next Fest.”
――What kind of user feedback have you received since release? Please tell us about anything that left a particularly strong impression.
Ufuk: First and foremost, I’m truly delighted that (as of this interview) 97% of the reviews on Steam are positive.Much of the feedback we received focused on just how fun the game is. I was especially moved—in a way I can’t even put into words—when so many players commented, “I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard while playing a game.”
Also, when players share ideas like, “What if we added this kind of new content?” it’s a huge help in accelerating our development process.
――Based on user feedback, could you tell us about your plans for future updates?
Ufuk: To be honest, we received a tremendous amount of feedback from players during the period when we were distributing the *BOMBANANA!* demo.We took each piece of feedback seriously and incorporated many of the elements players wanted into the full release. I believe this is one of the main reasons the game has been “overwhelmingly well-received.”
Looking ahead, we plan to add new stages, outfits, puzzles, and entirely new game modes.
――Could you tell us about the Japanese language support for this game? What was implemented, what challenges did you face, and what has the reaction from Japan been like?
Ufuk: So far, we haven’t received any negative feedback regarding the Japanese localization. We worked with a professional localization company to translate *BOMBANANA!* into 15 languages. We didn’t encounter any particular difficulties or issues throughout the entire process.
――Is it okay to distribute and monetize this game?
Ufuk: Yes, of course! We see it as a wonderful opportunity for players to help spread the fun of *BOMBANANA!*. We’re really happy when you share your gameplay experiences or create content based on the game.
――Finally, please share a message for our Japanese readers.
Ufuk: I know that the theme of the “Three Monkeys”—“see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”—holds special significance in Japanese culture. That’s precisely why it was so deeply moving for us that Japanese players were the first to show such great interest in *BOMBANANA!*.
We are truly grateful for your interest and warm support. With love from Turkey to everyone in Japan!
――Thank you very much.
◆ About “Spotlight on Indie Mini-Q&A”
This series features email interviews with indie developers about their games shortly after release. To ensure regular updates, we’ve standardized the questions, with the goal of sharing the voices of as many developers as possible. Please also enjoy our other interview articles, which now number over 1,000.
